Indian diplomats are playing down the disagreement with the US over a recent nuclear deal as just a 'hiccup' in bilateral relations.
American politicians across party lines, think-tanks and anti-nuclear activists question the wisdom of the Bush administration giving India access to sensitive nuclear technology and materials without New Delhi signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India, they say, is allowing inspection of only its civilian nuclear reactors.
There is opposition in India too; the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the communists, who have become strange bedfellows in their common opposition to the nuclear deal - the so-called '123 agreement' - claim that India is 'signing away its sovereignty and self-determination on the nuclear position' in exchange for technology and materials.
One of the clearest indications of US annoyance came with the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled visit this week to India by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.
He said he would travel to India at a time when it would be 'most effective' to finalise the deal.
The first sign of the deal being in serious trouble came when Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon visited Washington early this month. US experts were quick to point out that Mr Menon's visit implied that all was not well.
